Fall Commencement 2011

Commencement Speaker

Dennis Marzolf was born in Rochester, Minnesota, and grew up in nearby Spring Valley. He earned his bachelor of music degree from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, and holds a master of music degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and a master of divinity degree from Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

Marzolf has been a faculty member at Bethany since the fall of 1984 and is chair of the music department. He directs the Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, Bethany Choraliers, Handbell Choir and teaches courses in hymnody and liturgics, and choral conducting. He has been chapel organist, directed the Mary Martha Singers, and taught music history, music skills, voice lessons, and various topics courses in the music department.

He has been an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS) since October 1985 and has served on the Worship Committee of the ELS for many years. In 1996, the Committee produced the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary which was published by MorningStar Music.

Marzolf has served as a high school choral clinician and adjudicator, and has been a director at Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) Choralfests and a high school honors choir at the WELS Triennial National Conference on Worship, Music, and the Arts. For fifteen years he conducted the Minnesota Valley Chorale, a regional, auditioned ensemble in Mankato. He has served as church organist, a volunteer director of the choirs at Mt. Olive Lutheran School (Children’s Choir, Boys’ Choir) for a number of years, and recently started a high school choir at the same congregation. Marzolf is also the founding director of the annual ELS Summer Honor Choir and has directed that group since June 1986.

He is an editorial associate for LOGIA: A Journal of Lutheran Theology. Articles he has written have been published in that journal as well as in Reformation and Revival Journal.

Marzolf enjoys reading, playing the piano, playing music for church, and watching vintage TV. He and his wife Beth have two children: Kristian and Laura.